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The broken hand I’d given the dickhead who ran the apartment building had changed his attitude really quickly, but that was nothing compared to the busted knees I’d left the property owner with before he’d gotten on board with making sure all of his tenants were safe. He’d been seconds away from calling the cops on me when I’d casually let it slip that I worked for the Vitucci family. I didn’t like to name-drop who my family was, but there were times when it was necessary and just made things easier—less bloody.
Giving Lis a few hours to sleep, I took care of a couple things before I went back to the apartment to get ready for the night. I could hear Ryan and Nova in his room. While some of our family back in Creswell Springs had always had issues with their relationship, I’d never questioned it. I’d seen it from day one, and even when they were nothing more than best friends, I had still known they would end up together. My sister was strong as fuck, but deep down, I knew even as hard-ass as Ryan was, he was nothing but a lifeless body without Nova.
After a shower, I pulled on a suit, styled my hair back from my face, tossed a scarf around my neck, and slid my arms through the sleeves of my coat as I walked out into the living room. I’d already had a dress, shoes, and a new coat sent to the club for Lis after her shift. She might have insisted on working, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t have our own New Year’s celebration afterward.
“Holy shit,” my sister exclaimed as she came out of Ryan’s room, and I turned to face her. “When did you learn to dress like a GQ model?”
Pausing to tie my scarf, I took in what she was wearing. The long-sleeved black dress had a diamond-like shimmer to it, making her look like one of the sparkly angel ornaments on the Christmas tree we would put up as kids. Her blond hair was curled and pulled over one shoulder, while her makeup was more than I was used to seeing on her. With the heels she wore, she had at least six inches of extra height, but that still put me a good ten inches above her.
She was so tiny, even shorter than our mother, because of how premature she’d been at birth. When she was born, that was the first time I could ever remember being scared. As I’d watched Mom’s belly grow, my excitement had built and built. I would have a brother or sister like Lexa and Max did. I would have someone who was mine and only mine.
But then Mom had gone into preterm labor, and I’d heard the adults whispering that we might lose my tiny baby sister. She was in the hospital for so long, it felt like forever before she got to come home. There were rumors of possible side effects from Nova’s being born so early, but thankfully, other than a weak immune system the first few years of her life—and how small she was—she’d had no other issues.
“You look beautiful,” I told her without hesitation as I pulled my gloves from my coat pocket and slipped them on. “Ryan, man, you’re going to have your hands full trying to keep those bastards off my sister tonight. Call me if you need help.”
“Where are you going?” Nova asked when I started for the elevator, a teasing note in her voice. “Do you have a hot date or something?”
“Or something,” I said, fighting a smile. “It was good to see you, Nova. I figure we won’t see each other again before you head home, so give Mom a kiss for me.” When I reached her, I paused and tapped her gently on the nose before lowering my voice. This apology was long overdue. “I’m sorry I’ve been a dick, sis. By now, you probably know I was just blowing smoke with what I said on your birthday. I have no excuse other than I was being an asshole, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Nova blinked her green eyes, looking so much like a smaller version of our aunt Raven that it was a little terrifying. She touched my forehead as concern filled her gaze. “Are you sick?” she gasped, her voice dropping dramatically, causing a pang to hit my chest. Fuck, I missed her. “Are you dying, Garret?”
Regret filled me. “I guess I understand why you would think it would take something life-changing like a death sentence to make me be nice to you.” I wrapped her in a hug and squeezed her tight. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
I held her for a long moment before kissing her forehead and stepping back, continuing on to the elevator.
Walking into Cherry Bomb, I took note of how crowded the place was. There wasn’t a free seat at the bar or near the stages, and only one table was free but it wasn’t in Lis’s section. It took a few moments before I found my girl in the crowd, but when I did, I started walking toward her before I even realized my feet were moving.
Six guys were seated in my usual booth. Even as I moved through the crowd, I could see that they were all obviously drunk. The one sitting on the outside of the circular booth closest to where Lis stood, trying to set baskets of appetizers down on the table, was looking at her ass like he wanted to eat his dinner off it. His lips were moving, and even over the noise of the hundreds of people in the club, I could hear his friends laugh at whatever he said.
Lis gave him a tight smile but took a half step back from the table, looking… Not scared, but definitely uncomfortable. I increased my pace, physically pushing people out of my way as I hurried toward her. Several feet away, I saw the motherfucker lift his hand, and I knew exactly where he planned on putting it.
Before he could make contact with her ass, I grabbed his wrist and twisted and then pulled it back. It didn’t break, but his scream was enough to stop the conversations of those around us. Still holding on to him, I jerked him to his feet and folded his arm behind his back before bending him over the tabletop.
“Garret,” Lis scolded, but I didn’t miss the hint of relief in her shaky voice.
“In this club, it’s hands off unless the girls decide they want to touch you,” I gritted out, squeezing his wrist a little harder. “Did the lady touch you?”
“She was shaking that ass in my face, man,” he said, too drunk to understand that his life was in serious danger. “Girl was begging for my handprint on those round little cheeks.”
“Hey, man, we’re just here to have a good time,” the guy sitting in the middle of the round booth snapped at me. “You’re killing our vibe.”
I lifted my gaze to his, and whatever he saw in my eyes had his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Behind me, I sensed movement and then felt Lis step closer to me, her fingers twisting in the material of my coat. I grabbed a fistful of hair of the guy who had been about to slap my girl’s ass and jerked him into an upright position before shoving him toward the three bouncers who had finally made their way over to the table.
“Escort them all out,” I instructed. “Put them on the banned list.”
“But—” one of the bouncers started, but I shot him a glare.
“Do I need to call Volkov?” I gritted out, and the huge man gulped.
“No, Mr. Hannigan. We’ll take care of them, sir.”
I stood there with Lis at my side until every man at the table was out the door. Once they were gone, I untangled Lis’s fingers from my coat and lifted her hand to my lips. “Are you okay, blue eyes?”
She inhaled slowly, seeming to gather herself, but moments later, she released an annoyed huff. “I could have handled that on my own, you know.”
I never once let her see my amusement as I nodded. “I know, baby.”
She rolled her eyes and started picking up the full baskets of wings, onion rings, and other appetizers that she’d placed on the table only minutes before. “I’ll get your order put in.”
